


Recalibrate ... Loading...

by BatsAreFluffy



Series: Like tears in the rain [28]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Day 28: Hunting, Ficlet, Gen, Mild Gore, Robot hunting Bruce, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:07:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27256189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatsAreFluffy/pseuds/BatsAreFluffy
Summary: Bruce is not fond of being hunted.
Series: Like tears in the rain [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950151
Kudos: 19
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Recalibrate ... Loading...

Superman could probably smell him, Bruce thought to himself.

The silencing suit he had been working on wasn’t finished, but he’d been lucky – the main heart silencer was portable. He had grabbed it off the table and jabbed the probe between his ribs, used duct tape to hold it in place, and hid. If he kept his breath below 12 decibels, the suit’s field would muffle it. Deep, slow breathes, no movement, hide deep in the shadows of the weapons area. Wait until help arrived.

Superman walked into the room.

Superman stood in the middle of the room, rotated his head completely around his neck, and then stared right at him. A blue beam of light scanned the whole section of the room before blinking and turning off.

“Found you,” the thing said plainly.

Bruce stayed in his spot. Maybe it couldn’t reach him.

Maybe he’d wake up and this robotic Superman wouldn’t be here.

Or maybe the robotic Superman would just yank the entire display rack he was hiding behind and chunk it out of the room.

Bruce launched towards the electrical charges, the EMP grenades on the far wall. The robotic Superman’s uncovered hand swatted him back into the wall. Hard.

“Recalibrate strength levels,” the thing droned, flashing green light in the eyes. “Target acquired.”

Bruce had already lunged forward again, ducking under a workbench to get to the fire extinguisher. Anything to slow this creature down until Diana or Barry, or someone could come help. He ducked the lone chair, spinning it toward the robot, and reached for the red extinguisher.

A hand clamped over his leg, raised him higher than he was tall, and swung. Bruce briefly tried to catch one of the ceiling pipes, but missed. He didn’t miss the table his back slammed into.

He groaned, rolling off the table, and under the wreckage. He was in a suit, just coming from WE. He could feel blood rolling down his back, his shoulders. It was a miracle that this thing hadn’t broken any bones.

“Recalibrate capture parameters,” the thing droned, eyes flashing purple this time.

“For who?!” Bruce yelled. “Who are you working for?”

“Capture priorities re-established.”

“Capture for what?” Bruce said to no one, searching for anything sort of a rock to hurl at the approaching robot.

“Recalibrating capture health status.” This time, the robotic Superman looked straight at him. “Restatement of objectives: surrender, or extraneous flesh will be removed.”

“Who sent you? Why me? Where is your operator?” Bruce yelled back, inching his way towards the shelves one last time.

“Recalibrate capture parameters. Subject engaged. Darkseid, Batman, Arkopolis.” Superman landed precisely in front of the human. “Subject goal, undamaged cerebral tissue. Capture health status is pre-defined.”

Bruce scooted back. So close to the cupboard door, another few inches – he lunged forward again, fingers just on the handle.

The red laser sliced through his wrist instantly.

Bruce watched, in numb horror, as his hand was sliced, diced, and destroyed in less than four seconds, becoming less than a blood smear in the time it took his to scream.

“Recalibrating subject scan. Scan complete. No measurable cerebral damage recorded.”

Bruce yanked his arm back, biting back a bellow. His body was shaking, he was cold and wet and dizzy – but not in pain. He couldn’t feel anything at the burned stump. He must be going into shock, nothing was making any sense – the robotic Superman clanked closer.

“Subject obtained. Batman of Gotham, Earth. Transport calibration.” 

Superman landed as the Bat and the Robot dematerialized.

**Author's Note:**

> NExt few are going to be short - Halloween is a doozey, though. :)


End file.
